In the construction industry, cultured marble is utilized to achieve a marbled look thereby providing a substitute for the more costly natural marble. Cultured marble is made by combining a matrix of specially formulated resin, ground limestone, color (powder pigments), and MEKP (methel ethyl keytone peroxide), a hardening agent. The mold releasing agent is applied to the mold just prior to spraying the clear gelcoats. Thereafter, gel coat is sprayed into a mold which defines the desired product. The matrix, which is mixed in a large vat, is then poured into the coated mold. Air vibrators attached to the mold remove trapped air and settle the matrix evenly. Thereafter, the mold is left undisturbed for a lengthy period of at least eight hours, allowing the product to cure. Finally, the product is removed from the coated mold, cleaned, and then buffed to a high gloss finish.
Cultured marble, however, poses several problems. For instance, although lighter than natural marble, cultured marble is still a relatively heavy product. Cultured marble, for example, has a weigh approximately five times that of equivalent products produced by the present inventor's method. Additionally, production time for cultured marble is quite lengthy. Cure time alone requires at least eight hours. Thus, there is a need for a method which will produce an imitation marble object which is much lighter in weight and therefore is much easier to handle and to transport. Moreover, there is a need for a method in which an imitation marble product is produced in a much more time and cost efficient manner.